Napoleon: the Emperor Distilled

Andrew Roberts is both entertained and stimulated by Felix Markham’s 1963 article on Napoleon, which made judicious use of what correspondence was then available. 

Bonaparte, First Consul, by Ingres

Although it was written over half a century ago, Felix Markham's article The Emperor at Work holds up remarkably well, both as an insight into Napoleon Bonaparte's personality and as an immensely entertaining piece of writing. Markham was a history don at Hertford College, Oxford between 1931 and 1973 and his article represented a distillation of his knowledge and opinions derived from over three decades of reading and teaching about the emperor. The sources he used are therefore widespread, illuminating and judiciously chosen.

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